MECHANICSBURG, Penn. - Naval Supply Systems Command (NAVSUP) hosted a 90-minute industry roundtable virtual event Feb. 26 to educate industry partners about the integral role they have in Naval Sustainment System-Supply (NSS-Supply), an initiative that will leverage Navy’s end to end (E2E) supply chains to run more effectively and affordably to generate the readiness the Navy and fleet need.
NAVSUP Strategic Supplier Management lead Karen Fenstermacher kicked off the event by welcoming NAVSUP’s top 50 industry partners across the aviation and maritime domains. “Today’s industry roundtable is another example of NAVSUP’s continuing commitment to communicate its strategic priorities and direction with industry to collectively drive improved supply chain performance and support to the warfighter,” Fenstermacher said.
Fenstermacher concluded her welcome by turning the floor over to NAVSUP Commander Rear Adm. Pete Stamatopoulos who gave an overview of NSS-Supply and NAVSUP’s role as the supply chain integrator for the Navy.
NSS-Supply is a combination of commercial best practices, process improvements, governance and oversight to maximize efficiencies and effectiveness within available means. “NSS-Supply is NAVSUP’s transformation agenda to drive elevated performance. It’s a multi-year journey with multiple focus areas,” Stamatopoulos said.
Stamatopoulos explained that NAVSUP is the supported commander governing E2E supply chains because NAVSUP and the Navy Supply Corps have a comprehensive view of supply from the tactical edge, spanning the entire spectrum of Navy supply requirements from ships, submarines, and aircraft, and from the operational level to program offices.
“Supply Chain performance is absolutely core to our Navy’s future vision and E2E supply chain performance. We are definitely in a new era of great power competition…. We must maintain the freedom of the seas and be able to ensure our allies and partners that we can protect our financial and commercial interests around the globe,” Stamatopoulos said. “Our current supply chains must generate and sustain readiness to support our missions effectively and affordably.”
Stamatopoulos emphasized the value of Navy and industry partnerships. “We absolutely need your collaboration and want to work closely with you to identify immediate areas where we can gain better performance out of our supply chains. Working together, we must gain further insight into barriers in your industry. We’re all being held accountable to improve our performance.”
NAVSUP is responsible for a $37 billion dollar inventory located at more than 700 locations or plants across commercial industry. “Our financial auditability is key to improving the performance of our end-to-end supply chains, which are extremely important to the lethality of our formations. Much of our inventory is in your custody in your repair facilities and we have to be able to tighten up our auditability. I am looking to you to help us in that area,” Stamatopoulos said.
Commander, NAVSUP Weapon Systems Support (WSS) Rear Adm. Doug Noble dove deeper into NSS-Supply’s E2E velocity pillar, which focuses on the speed of the supply system and reducing repair turnaround times (RTAT) to meet fleet requirements and readiness goals.
Overall implications for industry partners included execution of a rapid reset of turnaround time repairs to achieve a 50% reduction in RTATs; intensified tracking and management of RTAT; improved demand management and information exchange with transparency in requirements; and clarification on NAVSUP’s role as the Navy’s sole E2E supply chain integrator.
“Our commitment is to improve our performance and get in line with commercial standards for RTAT. I think we are on solid ground in terms of setting ambitious but achievable goals for ourselves, working with our industry partners,” Noble said.
Noble also talked about how strategic contracts with industry can be better designed to focus on fleet requirements and fleet readiness goals, providing clear paths for contractors and measurable wins for the Navy.
“We need to approach this from a no-additional-cost framework. To do that, we will work collectively to have better transparency of information, and quicker information flow so we are not wasting time or creating dead time while waiting for material to be repaired,” Noble said.
Noble went on to say to industry partners, “I am really looking forward to our conversations.”
Fenstermacher wrapped up the roundtable noting, “Thanks to all our industry partners for what you do each and every day, repairing our gear, building our gear, helping us to support the Sailors, Marines, and other folks out there on the front line defending our nation. I’m confident in our NAVSUP team and I’m confident that we can really make some great improvements in how we bring velocity into our supply chain.”
This is the first NSS-Supply industry roundtable led by the NAVSUP commander in the virtual forum. NAVSUP plans to continue to engage with its industry partners to boost its efforts to find the right mix of organic and commercial activities to project and sustain warfighting readiness. Collaboration, integration and synchronization with industry partners, other Navy systems commands, and Navy Type Commanders will drive NSS-Supply efforts and ultimately improve Navy readiness.
“Seeing RTAT wins in the short-term is one of the most significant contributions our industry partners can do to propel and sustain our warfighting force,” Stamatopoulos said. “This is an all-hands-on-deck approach to deter our enemies, secure our maritime dominance, and protect our freedom of the seas.”
Headquartered in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, and employing a diverse, worldwide workforce of more than 22,500 military and civilian personnel, NAVSUP's mission is to provide supplies, services, and quality-of-life support to the Navy and joint warfighter. Learn more at www.navsup.navy.mil, www.facebook.com/navsup and https://twitter.com/navsupsyscom